Chasing Down the Dawn
by jessalyn78
Summary: What happens when someone (not a love interest) from Ana's past comes back into her life... ON INDEFINITE HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

"Hey mom" I greet as I answer my cell.

"Ana" she says nervously. "Hey baby."

"What's wrong?" I ask noting her distress.

"I have some news for you… It might be a little upsetting."

"Oh God" I gasp. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine baby, I'm great actually."

"Okay" I say as I take sharp intake of breath. "Then tell me what's wrong."

"I'm getting married!" she squeals excitedly.

"What?" I ask confused. "You're already married."

"Things with Bob are over, if I'm honest with myself they've been over for a long time."

"And you're already on to husband number five?" I snap sarcastically. "How long have you actually been divorced for?"

"I'm technically not divorced, but as soon as I am…"

"You're going to marry this new guy?"

"Actually Ana" she says sheepishly. "He isn't a new guy."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm marrying Stephen Morton… again."

"What?" I gasp as I physically feel the color in my face drain.

"But… but no, mom he was such a jerk. You were so unhappy…"

"Ana" she scolds. "I'm very excited about this, would you please put your petty differences aside."

"Petty differences?" I yell. "Mom, you know what happened all those years ago."

"Oh Ana."

"How could you do this to me?" I ask as tears pool in my eyes.

"Baby?" Christian asks as he walks in "what's wrong?"

"Nothing" I yell as I hang up on my mother and turn my cell off. "I'm fine" I add angrily.

"Clearly" he teases. "Come on, tell me."

"My mother is marrying Stephen…again."

I note Christian's expression.

"What?" I snap.

"Baby, what's the big deal? I mean, I know you didn't like the guy, but it's not like you're going to be living with him…"

"Trust me Christian" I groan. "It's a big deal. This guy is the biggest douchebag…"

"Why Mrs. Grey" Christian teases smirking at my outburst.

"Sorry, but it's true."

"What's so bad about him?"

"Gosh" I sigh. "I was really hoping I'd never have to tell you this…"

"Tell me what?"

"Christian, when my mom was married to him and the three of us were living together, I was just a teenager, and Stephen, he…"

"He what?" Christian asks as his posture straightens and his gaze intensifies.

"He made a pass at me."

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	2. Chapter 2

"Ana" Christian responds shocked. "What do you mean?"

"That's why I went back with Ray…"

"Ana!" Christian interrupts urgently. "What do you mean by 'made a pass at you."'

"Christian-"

"Did he touch you?" he asks angrily.

I look down. He guides my chin up so I'm looking at him again.

"Tell me" he says urgently.

"Yes" I admit softly.

"Where?"

"Oh God, Christian-"

"Tell me what he did to you" he demands softly, but the rage is evident in his voice. Shit. I shouldn't have brought this up…

"I don't really want to talk about it" I respond nervously.

"Ana" Christian says, and it sounds like his voice is breaking. "You can trust me baby; tell me what that bastard did to you."

There's a long pause, and Christian finally speaks again once he realizes I'm not going to talk.

"Does Carla know?"

"Yes" I scoff.

"And she's still going to marry the son of a bitch?"

"She stayed married to him back then" I reply angrily.

"But, how could she do that to you?" he asks as he strokes my cheek softly.

"I don't know" I say as I choke back tears. "I guess she just convinced herself that I made the whole thing up."

"She doesn't believe you?" he asks angrily.

I shake my head. "Apparently not."

"Did you ever tell Ray?"

"No" I scoff. "I knew he'd beat the shit out of him."

"And what makes you think I won't?" Christian asks. Crap. He's right. I really shouldn't have let this little secret slip…"

"Well" he says as he takes a deep breath. "Don't worry; he's never going near you. I'm going to make sure you never have to see him again."

"It's going to be kind of hard" I sigh. "He's marrying my mother."

Christian gazes at me intensely. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Because" I reply "It's uncomfortable, I don't like to talk about it…"

"But I told you about Elena-"

Shit. He's right.

He sighs. "Is that why you were so understanding with me? Why you hated her so much?"

"I guess that was part of it-" I admit shakily.

"Baby" he sighs as he pulls me close to him. "I wish you'd tell me. Please tell me what happened. I'm your husband. You can tell me anything. I need to know how to protect you…"

"Okay" I finally sigh. "I'll tell you. He um… Gosh this is awkward."

"No it isn't" he says soothingly. "It's just me baby."

"He just said some creepy things to me, and then he-"

"And then he what?"

"He put his hand down my shirt. It was for like a second, I pushed him away-"

He doesn't have a response. He just sits there with a blank expression on his face.

"You should have told me before" he whispers finally breaking the silence as he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.

"I know" I respond softly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry" he sighs as he gets up.

"Where are you going?" I ask shakily.

"I have a couple calls to make. I'm going to make sure you never have to see that son of a bitch again."

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	3. Chapter 3

"Christian, what do you mean? What are you going to do?" I ask him worriedly.

"You shouldn't be forced to make nice with the man who molested you-"

"It wasn't molestation" I protest.

"He touched you inappropriately Anastasia, You didn't want it. You were only a child-"

"I wasn't a _child_- look Christian, coming from you this is a little…"

"I know" he responds icily. "That was different."

"A bit of a double standard don't you think?"

"No, Anastasia. What happened with Elena was wrong but she didn't-"

"Didn't what?"

"Damn it Ana, she didn't force herself on me uninvited. I didn't have to fight her off. She didn't try to…"

"Look, Christian. It's okay…"

"It isn't okay" he yells. "God, it's about the furthest thing from okay… Imagine if it was Phoebe."

"I'd rather not" I shudder.

"He was your step-father, he should have protected you. He should have acted like-"

"Like Ray?"

"Yeah. Ray has been an excellent father to you Ana."

"I know" I say smiling. "I was lucky to have him. I _am_ lucky to have him…"

"I have a phone call to make" he says as he strokes my face softly.

"You're making me nervous" I respond shakily.

"Don't be" he responds softly. "Right now I'm just going to try to find information."

"Information?"

"I want to find this man's weaknesses so I can exploit them."

"Christian-"I protest. "This is starting to sound less like you protecting me and more like you getting revenge…"

"Not revenge Anastasia. Justice. He deserves to pay for what he…"

"Christian- I'm not interested in making him suffer, I just don't want him to marry my mother again!"

"Don't worry" he says back quickly. "That _isn't_ going to happen. The kids will never meet this man. You will never see him again. I'm going to make sure of it."

"What does that mean? Christian you aren't going to have him…killed?"

He chuckles, but it's an icy, scary kind of chuckle. "No Anastasia. There'd be no fun in that. That would be too easy."

"I really don't like the way you're talking" I say staring him in the eyes. "Christian-"

"Ana, don't worry. I'm going to keep you safe."

"Without getting yourself into trouble?" I ask giving him a stern look.

We're interrupted by the sound of Phoebe crying on the baby monitor.

"I think that's your cue" he teases.

"I'm not done talking to you about this-" I warn.

"Well I'm done talking to you about this" he snaps back. "I'm going to make the bastard pay."

Phoebe's cries are joined by the sound of Ted calling for me.

"You better take care of that" Christian says as he picks up his phone and starts dialing.

Crap. What is he going to do?

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	4. Chapter 4

"Mrs. Jones" I nod as I run through the hall way. "Which one would you like to take care of this time?" I wink.

"How about I get Teddy, you get Phoebe?" she asks.

"Sounds good" I smile. "It's been a few hours since I've held my baby girl."

"Shhh" I say softly as I pick her up. "It's okay. Mommy's got you" I add as I sit down in the rocking chair. "Hey baby girl" I coo. "I really hope daddy isn't about to do something stupid" I say as I begin to rock.

God, what a night this has been. I haven't thought about Steven in years. It's so bizarre… my mom just calls out of the blue and says she's _marrying_ him again. I can't believe it. And I can't believe I told Christian. Why the hell did I do that?

"Because it was the right thing to do!" my subconscious yells at me.

I guess…but I'm really worried about him now. I know this is going to fuck with his head. How could it not?

The whole thing has just been off my radar for so long. And now suddenly it's at the forefront of my mind again. I shudder as the memory plays in my mind like a terrible movie I can't stop.

_As the day finally ends I'm exhausted. I had two midterms today, and I'm convinced that I bombed one of them. Plus I'm so disillusioned with the petty drama that exists in the world of high school girls. I can't wait to hop into bed and curl up with a good book._

_I walk over to the kitchen and start to heat some chicken soup on the stove. _

_"Hello Anastasia" I hear a male voice say eerily as I feel his breath against my neck._

_"Ahh" I scream startled as I jolt away._

_"Stephen" I say once I've registered who I'm looking at. "What the hell? I thought you and my mother we're going to be out tonight."_

_"Change of plans" he replies, and for some reason his voice sounds so creepy. It suddenly hits me that I don't know this guy very well at all and I start to feel very nervous._

_"Do you want some soup?" I ask as I resume stirring it._

_"No" he says. "Soup is not what I want Ana."_

_"Okay" I shrug. "I can make grilled cheese if you'd like."_

_"You're so sweet" he says softly. "Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to have some alone time with you?"_

_"Why's that?" I ask nervously as I subconsciously inch away from him._

_"You're a very beautiful girl Ana" he says._

_Oh shit. What kind of creepy-ass pervert has my mother gotten involved with. I turn to run, but I notice he has me cornered. _

_"Can I help you with something?" I ask shakily._

_"Oh yes Anastasia" he murmurs as he slinks his hand down my shirt._

_"Stop it!" I yell as I slap him across the face. "What the hell is wrong with you?"_

_"What the hell is wrong with you, you fucking bitch!?" he snarls as he holds his face in pain._

_I turn to run, but he grabs my arm. I pull it from his grasp quickly the way Ray taught me to and knock the soup off the stove so it spills onto his feet._

_"Ahh!" he screams in pain. I run into my room and lock the door behind me. Then I sit on my bed. Holy crap, did that just really happen? Before I know what's happening I'm crying, sobbing into one of my pillows. I'm not really sure what's wrong with me. I feel so scared, so uneasy. I've never felt this way before…_

"Goodness" I shrug as I rock phoebe more vigorously. "Maybe it won't be such a bad thing if daddy does something to the bad guy. I know daddy's right about one thing- that man will never go anywhere near you or your brother. I don't care if he is marrying grandma, I'd die before I let that sick bastard hurt one of my kids.

A fresh wave of anger wells up in me as I remember my mother's reaction when I told her what happened. She didn't try to protect me, she didn't even believe me!

_"Mom?" I say softly into the phone as I fight tears._

_"Ana darling, can this wait?" she replies. "I'm very busy."_

_"No" I say shakily. "Mom, it's an emergency."_

_"What is it?" she asks urgently._

_"I'm scared."_

_"Scared of what darling?"_

_"Stephen"_

_"Ana, don't be ridiculous!"_

_"Mom" I snap. "He just attacked me!"_

_"What?" she replies shocked._

_"He just attacked me, he tried to- and I'm still in the house with him. Alone. Please come home I need help."_

_"Ana" my mom bites back harshly. "This is a terrible thing to lie about."_

_"I'm not lying" I sob._

_"Pull yourself together!" she snaps. "I know the divorce has been tough on you, and I know how important Ray was to you, but…"_

_"Mom! Please, please believe me!"_

_"I'm sorry Ana" she replies "I have to go."_

_"But… no" I cry shaking my head as I hang up. "No, no, no."_

"You know I think that hurt the most. That my mother didn't believe me. I felt so betrayed.

"I'll never do that to you Phoebe" I say softly. I will always protect you. I will always love you. I will always believe in you. Because I'm a mother, and that's what mothers should do."

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	5. Chapter 5

_"We're here today to celebrate the union of Carla Wilkes and Stephen Morton in holy matrimony."_

_No, this isn't happening. How can this be happening?_

_"If anyone has just cause to object to this union please speak now or forever hold your peace."_

_"Me!" I scream as I stand up. "Me, I object."_

_"Sorry dear" Carla glares at me. "Nobody cares what you think."_

_"But-"_

_"Nobody believes you Anastasia, and no one ever will" Stephen says in a taunting tone._

_"Shut up you bastard" I yell._

_"Think of it this way" he sneers. "Your children will have a new grandfather."_

_"You stay the hell away from my kids!"_

_"Sorry Ana, you can't stop me. I'm in the family now. I'm in your family."_

_"No!" I scream._

_"Ana" I hear softly. "Ana, wake up baby. It's a dream you're having a dream?"_

"What?" I ask as I startle awake, drenched in sweat.

"You were having a nightmare" Christian says. "It was about him wasn't it?"

"Yeah" I shudder. "I dreamt that I was at their wedding."

"This is really bothering you, isn't it?" he asks as he pulls me closer to him.

"Yeah" I sigh. "It's just- I haven't thought about this in so long.

"It must have been so hard for you baby" he says sympathetically as he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "You were just a kid."

"Are you talking about me or yourself?" I ask gently. "You know, nothing actually happened between me and Stephen it wasn't…"

"This isn't about me and Elena" Christian snaps. "This is about the sick son-of-a-bitch who was supposed to be a father to you, but instead tried to take advantage of you. And then he convinced your mother that you were lying."

"He didn't convince my mother of anything" I say as I roll my eyes.

"What do you mean?" he asks as he smooths my hair with his palm.

"I told my mother what happened before Stephen even had a chance to talk to her. She didn't believe me."

"Really?" Christian asks. "Carla just assumed you were lying. Why?"

"I don't know? I guess it was easier for her to think that her daughter was lying than it was for her to think that the man she just married backed her daughter into a corner and forced his hand down her shirt."

Christian tenses and his breathing quickens. "You didn't say that before" he says through clenched teeth as his grip around me tightens. "About him backing you into a corner."

"I fought him off" I say reassuringly. "Nothing happened Christian."

"Except something did happen" he argues. "The bastard fondled you, without your consent, when you were only a fucking kid."

"Christian-"

"There is no way that he is going to marry your mother again."

"How are you going to stop him?" I ask as I turn to look into his eyes. "Do you have a plan yet?"

"Do you think I would be sleeping if I didn't?" he asks.

"What's the plan?" I ask shakily.

"Are you sure you want to be involved?"

I nod my head. "If this is a bad idea I want to stop you. But, if it's a good idea…"

"You want to help me?"

I nod.

"Why Mrs. Grey…" he teases "So naughty."

"I have my moments" I smirk. "Now tell me!"

"Okay, okay calm down" he smiles, amused by my outburst. "I've decided to go at this from a business angle. As much as I'd like to beat the bastard to a bloody pulp, I think it'd be more effective for me to do what I do best."

"Which is?"

"I'm going to ruin him financially."

"And you've come up with a plan to do this?"

"I have."

"Care to share?" I ask teasingly.

"Stephen owns a significant amount of stock in a paper company in Detroit."

"And you're going to bankrupt them?"

"For a start."

"What about all of the other people that will get hurt?"

"Ana, Ana, Ana, sometimes you are too sweet for your own good."

"I'm serious!" I protest.

"I'll find a way to help out the people who get caught in the crossfire."

"And how are you going to do that?"

"Don't worry about it!" he snaps. "All that matters is that I'm going to destroy Stephen."

"And how are you going to stop him from marrying my mother? Are you just going to assume that she won't want to marry him because he's broke?"

"No" he answers with a smirk. "That part of the plan comes later."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm not sure I want you to know about phase 2" he says in a chillingly serious tone. "I don't know how wrapped up in this I want you."

"Please Christian!" I beg. "I want to help you, I want to help you protect our kids, and if you're going to get in over your head with this… I want to help you."

"All right" Christian sighs. "I'm going to frame him for a crime. I'm going to make sure he goes to prison- for a very, very long time."

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